Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-02-19

ton of year or two until Springfield will
enjoy afull supply of natural gas. that II
| were erecting a block in Springfield.
should, by all means, have natural gas
pipes put in, together with the gas and
water pipes. With natural gas, steam
heating will be thing of the past. IN
dozen years We NAV be getting vast sup
plies of fuel gas from the nearest coal
neIds. With natural gas Springield's
future as a manufacturing metropolis will
be builded on a rock.
A word OF advice to the members Of the
city council. In granting the privilege of
the right of way TO any natural gas com
pany 10 lay pipes in Springfield and vicinity,
the company should be bound in the strong
est manner concerning the nature of the
pipes laid, and the general quality of the
work done Better have forty of the Goes
Station power mills under the city than a
set of poorly laid natural gas pipes. Every
foot of natural gas pipe laid
in this city should be closely inspected,
every joint should be examined and tested
By inspectors appointed by the city for the
purpose. The public good demands that
natural gas be piped to Springfield, and the
public safety demands that no mistakes be
paper article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer
says:
The people of Murraysyille do not live
in the safest place in the world. The whole
town is underlaid with network of pipes.
Besides the nine large mains supplying
Pittsburg with gas there are innumerable
smaller pipes connecting them IL the wells.
The pressure on all these Is enormous. owing
10 the nearness of the natural gas reservoir.
Should one pipe break it would likely set
of all the rest when the explosion that
would follow would rival that OF dyna-
mite factory. Fifty odd wells would send
their immense product surging to-
wards PittSburg. mostly through
the lines of the Philadelphia company.
These lines average - inches in diameter.
They are smallest at the gas-teld and grad
rally increase in size as they approach the
point of consumption where they act as
reservoirs. A line of pipe resembles a
monster telescope pulled out over hills.
down valleys and across rivers. By this
method the carrying capacity of the pipe is
| increased and the pressure reduced, thus
lessening the liability TO leak. As an ad-
ditiOnal precaution safety pipes convey
any gas that may leak out into the air
where is is harnlessly given off"
gu Will TtUltiHDtE tIdt wien NATURAL
gas was first introduced into Pittsburg and
neighboring towns, accidents were reported
every few days. In one case several houses
were blown down and a number of peoble
| injured. The whole world and especially
the jealous competitors of Pittsburg ex-
claimed in a chorus: "Ah ha, What did
We tell you. Better have a gun powder
factory on every street than natural gas
pipes under a clt;."
| The truth of the matter was. however,
that the first pipes were badly laid, and the
system Of piping the gas very imperfectly
| understood. Now that it is understood
better. accidents happen very rarely. A
dozen steam boilers explode every day, and
| little account is taken of it. If there is an
expo sion of natural gas, however. the sub
ject is discussed by the public and press for
weeks.
When natural gas is introduced into
| Springfield there will be big upheaval in
| insurance circles. Ii is said that after the
explosion which attended the introduction
of natural gas in Pittsburg. some of the
eastern insurance companies grewfrlghtened
/ and withdrew their policies where natural
gas was used. The Pittsburg insurance comi-
| panieS. however, took up the risks and they
now testify that there are far fewer fires
with natural gas as fuel than with coal. |
believe that the eastern companies are be-
! ginning to assume risks where natural gas
! is used, now that they understand il better.
| In few years there will be no trouble
whatever in securing insurance at even less
rates where gas is used than where coal is
used. History states that when illuminat-
ing coal gas was first introduced into
/ London there was terrible hue and cry
cOncer ning the new Illuminating agent. and
several of the great men of the time Gwelt
/ on the awful danger of running this inflam-
mable agent, this explosive gas. in pipes
through the very dwelling houses. Multi
/ tudes of fires were predicted, but happily
did not occur The present Outcry against
natural gas is of about the same importance.
/ There are always accidents on new rail
road. and there will no doubt be few con-
nected with the introduction of natural gas
as fuel. Ii must come, however.
Murder is what the ShOemen say about
I Lynch" is the strikingly picturesque sign
which one sees painted on one of the fences
en- route to Lagonda. They do indeed; they
do indeed.
| DIR. S. A. Ort has prepared an excellent
lecture on Ideals" 1t might he stated in
passing that DIR. Ort is an ideal lecturer,
also.
Some one writes TO the REPUBLIC wheth-
er We think the Springfield police fierce has
had good, clean record in the past. A
good, clean Record? Certainly: what's tle
matter with ''Dall?" Don't he I'LL the
/ bill?
! The rumOr that the first scene of Gilbert
and Sullivan's new opera of ''Ruddy-g -gors"
| is laid on the 'hill'' in Springfield on a Sa.-
urday night, is denied by late cable
grams.
One of the attendants at the Public Ii
brary told me the other day that there is the
greatest demand for MacaIley' essays from
/ the young lady pupils of the Springfield
seminary. No work in the library has been
50 extensively called for by the Young /
dies as these Incompatible eSSayS-the
most mastery, graphic and picturesque
prose in the English language. We are
glad Ia hear that there is a taste for such
good reading among the young ladies. 4
young lady who is familiar with Macauey :
essays will surely be a good conversation
alist. The person who wishes to excel in
conversation shcald make these essays his
mental daily bread. No one can be wall
flower with these essays in his or her head.
Read them.
THE LATEST AGONY.
What is that sound which breaks upon
the ear like the last agonizing shrek of a
giant-lunged maniac, freezing the blood and
elevafing the hair? 1t is the new
whistle of the Standard Manufac-
tory, already made locally immortal
by Mr.. Morgan's laughabe sketch
in its honor. If that whistle could only
dress itself in a white sheet and prowl
around the streets after night occasionally.